1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for blocking a pay-per-use feature in a communications network, such as a packet network, e.g., a Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet has emerged as a critical communication infrastructure, carrying traffic for a wide range of important scientific, business and consumer applications. Internet services are becoming ubiquitous and customers are combining both voice and data services on a single Internet based infrastructure such as a packet network e.g., a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network. VoIP service providers offer their customers an increasing array of enhanced services beyond the basic telephony service. These services are innovative and give the users more control over their telephony services.
Users of VoIP network services, however, often share a common household with other people who can access these services via endpoint devices (e.g., traditional phones) that are connected to the network through terminal adaptors and broadband modems. For various reasons, the primary subscriber may wish to control access to various telephony services, especially those that are characterized by high usage charges, such as pay-per-use call features
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for blocking pay-per-use features.